Cross Country Opens 2024 Campaign at Mizzou XC Opener

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Cross Country begins its season on Friday morning, Aug. 30, during the Mizzou XC Opener at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course, home of the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Joshua Allison, Angus Beer, Royce Fisher, Tyler Freiner, Brenden Heitzig, Johnny Martin, Trevor Peimann, Colby Revord, Finn Russell, Andrew Smock and Declan Tunney will compete for the men, whose 6k race begins at 7:30 a.m. CT. The women’s 5k will start at 8 a.m., with MU represented by Elissa Barnard, Rahel Broemmel, Kaia Downs, Renee Lewis, Nicole Louw, Allison Newman and McKenna Revord.

Missouri welcomes Saint Louis and Arkansas to compete in its first of two home meets this season. The Tigers are also set to compete in Columbia again on Sept. 27 for the Gans Creek Invitational.

This will mark the fourth-straight season the team opens its campaign with the Mizzou XC Opener. The MU men’s and women’s teams came in first in the 2023 event, with four Tigers earning a top-five finish in each race. 

The Southeastern Conference announced its preseason cross country coaches’ poll on Tuesday, with the Tigers’ men’s team predicted to place ninth and while women’s team 11^th. During the 2023 SEC Cross Country Championships, hosted by South Carolina, the men’s and women’s teams both finished ninth in their respective competitions. 

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